HS TENNIS: Milestones for two champions; Team race heating up; New rankings

Congratulations all around.

On Thursday, ON THE BLOG received an email keeping us in the loop about Abington Heights junior Bella Peters, who needed one victory to earn the 50th in her young career. (Always good to remind us).

When the result came across the board, Peters had achieved the milestone with a straight-sets victory over Dunmore’s Allie McNeff in a 5-0 win for the Lady Comets.

Then, while researching Peters’ career record, even we could do the math and learned that Riverside junior and defending Class 2A state champion Karissa Ghigiarelli won the 50th match of her high school career. She did it by defeating West Scranton’s Gabrielle Chantiloupe in Riverside’s 4-1 win.

Amazing! Two best friends who have dominated play in the Lackawanna League for more than two years, reaching that mark on the same day.

 

Karissa GHIGIARELLI RIVERSIDE Career record: 50-1	Bella PETERS ABINGTON HEIGHTS Career record: 51-3

 

NOTE: Both Karissa Ghigiarelli (3) and Bella Peters (15) are ranked by tennisrecruiting.net for the Class of 2021.

 

GOLDEN ERA

Yes, this is an incredible time in the Lackawanna League for girls tennis. Clearly with Ghigiarelli and Peters, we have two of, if not the, greatest players in history. And that is not hyperbole.

But also, there are several players whose resumes would certainly stack up on a list of the best players the league has had. And they are all on one team.

Scranton Prep’s starting lineup of Megan McDonald, Camilla Rinaldi and Carly Habeeb seem like they have been around forever. That’s because they have. All three have had major impacts on the success of the Classics for at least three seasons. Their records speak for themselves.

 

CLASSICS’ CAREER SINGLES RECORDS

• Megan McDonald: 39-6.
• Camilla Rinaldi: 34-4.
• Carly Habeeb: 52-4

 

Megan McDONALD Scranton Prep	Camilla RINALDI Scranton Prep	Carly HABEEB Scranton Prep

 

 

MORE STAR POWER

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better than this, a new standout player made her debut last week for Riverside at No. 2 singles.

Madeline DeFaber-Schumacher, a transfer student who attends cyber school, received her eligibility from the District 2 Committee. She burst upon the scene with a couple of straight-sets wins. She, like Ghigiarelli and Peters, are ranked by tennisrecruiting.net only she appears at No. 8.

That gives Riverside a pair of Top 10 players in its singles lineup moving forward in the Lackawanna League.

 

TOP 8 SINGLES RANKING

Far be it for ON THE BLOG to debate the tennisrecruiting.net people, so DeFaber-Schumacher jumps all the way up to No. 3 in the singles ranking behind the two District 2 champions.

 

No.	PLAYER	SCHOOL	RECORD	LAST RANK
1	Karissa Ghigiarelli	Riverside	7–0	1
2	Bella Peters	Abington Heights	7–0	2
3	Madeline DeFaber-Schumacher	Riverside	2–0	NR
4	Megan McDonald	Scranton Prep	7–0	3
5	Carly Habeeb	Scranton Prep	7–0	4
6	Camilla Rinaldi	Scranton Prep	7–0	5
7	Gisele Falzone	Holy Cross	5–2	6
8	Theresa Huffman	Scranton	5–2	8

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Rina Hanumali (AH); Rose Lombardo (DV); Gabrielle Chantiloupe (WS); Bella Aniska (RIV); Taralyn Reilly (VV).

 

SINGLES RECORDS

 

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DISTRICT 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS

In this delayed and day-by-day schedule while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, right now, there is a tentative plan in place to hold the District 2 Championships.

That is good news.

Here’s what we know based on what tennis authorities John Coyle and Mike Ognosky have released on piaad2.org.

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

DATES

• Friday, October 9th (First Round if necessary) at Higher Seeded Team
• Tuesday, October 13th (Quarterfinals) at Higher Seeded Team
• Thursday, October 15th (Semifinals and Finals) at Kirby Park, Wilkes-Barre

NOTE: First Round on Friday, October 9th (if necessary – only if more than 8 qualify)

Class 3A Semifinals begin at 11 AM Class 2A Semifinals begin at 12:30 PM

 

SEEDING MEETING: Singles & Doubles Wednesday, October 14th at Dunmore High School, 7 PM.

 

SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP

DATES

• Saturday, October 17th
  • Class 2A – First three rounds 8:30 AM at Kirby Park, WIlkes-Barre
  • Class 3A – First three rounds at North Pocono Middle School
• Monday, October 19 (Semifinals and Finals) at Kirby Park, Wilkes-Barre, 1 PM.

 

DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP

• Saturday, October 24th
  • Class 2A  – First three rounds 8:30 AM at Kirby Park, Wilkes-Barre
  • Class 3A – First three rounds at North Pocono Middle School
• Monday, October 26th (Semifinals and Finals at Kirby Park, Wilkes-Barre, 1 PM

 

PIAA TOURNAMENT DATES

• TEAM: Tuesday, October 27; Friday October 30th and Saturday 31st.
• SINGLES and DOUBLES: Friday November 6th and Saturday November 7th

 

DISTRICT 2 POWER RATINGS

 

 

LACKAWANNA LEAGUE STANDINGS

 

TOP 5 TEAM RANKING

Scranton Prep’s back half of the schedule gets much tougher. There is a future date against the new No. 3 team in Riverside, which is going to be very  tough at No. 1 and No. 2 singles moving forward.

No.		SCHOOL	RECORD	LAST RANK
1		Scranton Prep Classics	7–0	1
2		Abington Heights Lady Comets	7–0	2
3		Riverside Lady Vikes	6–1	4
4		Holy Cross Lady Crusaders	5–2	3
5		North Pocono Lady Trojans	6–2	4

 

TEAMS TO WATCH: Valley View (5-1); West Scranton (5-3).

 

 

WHAT’S AHEAD

MONDAY

Scranton Prep at Western Wayne
Scranton at North Pocono
Montrose at Riverside
Wallenpaupack at Mid Valley
Valley View at West Scranton

Holy Cross at Abington Heights
Dunmore at Delaware Valley

 

WEDNESDAY
West Scranton at Wallenpaupack
Dunmore at Honesdale
Delaware Valley at Scranton
Abington Heights at Riverside
Holy Cross at Montrose
Scranton Prep at Valley View
Western Wayne at Mid Valley

 

THURSDAY

Delaware Valley at Holy Cross
Mid Valley at Dunmore
North Pocono at Abington Heights
Western Wayne at Wallenpaupack
Honesdale at Montrose
Scranton Prep at Scranton
Valley View at Riverside

 

 

 

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